Q - A Big Mac has more calories than 3 Mars Bars - true or false? Read on....
When God created us he forgot one thing that would be very handy and that is a built in calorie counter . Wouldn't it be very convenient if our brain had a little counter that could tell us, in real time, how many calories we have taken in over the last 24 hours and how many we have burnt up - and maybe a food shut down control if we are over the limit. Health and diet issues would be so much easier. But he didn't so we have to educate and apply self discipline.
What is a calorie? In nutrition terms what we refer to as a calorie is actually a kilocalorie and in scientific terms it is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 Kg of water by 1 degree celcius. For this blog that's it as far as the science is concerned.
Why are we showing you a Big Mac? Well todays blog is a snapshot of some numbers that we should know about our daily diet and the Big Mac has 580 calories and that, as we will see, is a significant chunk of the daily calories that our bodies need. If you go for bust with a Big Mac Meal (large fries and Coke) that will be 1350 calories. 
What does that mean?The average male requires a daily calorie intake of about 2,800 while the average female needs about 2,000. Now it's easy to see where this is headed if you are a regular Big Mac Meal customer - nearly half your daily needs if you're male and nearly 70% for females and you will be like our friend in the boat.
But it's not all about about Big Macs - that's only to make a point. It can all go wrong without ever looking at the big M.
- 2700 = Average calorie needs for a male
- 2000 = Average calorie needs for a female
- 1700 = Our bodies burn up calories even we we are asleep or do nothing ( BMR calculator ) and as a rough rule of thumb you can multiply your weight in pounds x 10 to get a ballpark figure e.g. 170 lbs weight x 10 = 1700 calories your body will burn naturally. Any activity will burn up extra but lack of activity you got a problem! Check the calculator above
Ok - so you're feeling smug because you don't indulge in Big Macs.
But any of the following is the 580 calorie equivalent of a Big Mac
